South Sudan agrees to Egyptian request for military base near Pagak

June 2, 2020 News, Newsbeat, South Sudan

South Sudan border’s border county of Maiwut (Photo credit: CGTN)

June 2, 2020 (SSNN) – South Sudan government has agreed to Egyptian request to build a military base in Pagak, a former opposition stronghold that lies in the country’s Maiwut County of Upper Nile state, military sources at Bilpam said Tuesday.

The base, one high-ranking military official said, will house around 250 Egyptian troops in an apparent preparation for all the eventualities on a construction of a mega-dam by Ethiopia whose terms of implementation are opposed by Egypt.

“The government of the Republic of South Sudan and the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) have agreed to allocate a land to our Egyptian brothers who have requested a piece of land in the east [of South Sudan] to put their troops who will help in the development of the country,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Another official separately told South Sudan News Now (SSNN) from the ministry of foreign affairs that the land will only be used for developmental purposes which Egypt has pledged to provide to the world’s youngest nation.

“The land will be used by the Egyptians to provided development which are badly needed by the Republic of South Sudan,” the source said.

“The only country on Africa which has been on our side for the last decade since we gained our independence is Egypt. They are continuing to provide us with the services that our people need,” the official added.